Working to improve HomeSwapper

27 Feb 2019

As all active swappers will know, back in September 2018 we started to make updates to the HomeSwapper site in order to persuade some swappers to use the site better. Here we look back at how these changes have made a difference to how the site is being used.

As a result of feedback from all swappers out there, first up in our changes was an update to the messaging function, where we stopped swappers being able to contact any other users until they had replied to all unanswered messages in their inbox.

We brought this in to encourage everyone to reply to every message that comes into their inbox – even if it’s just to say a polite ‘no thank you’! We hoped that this would stop swappers hanging around waiting for responses and allow everything to keep moving.

Here’s the changes in numbers…

Before the changes only 60% of our swappers replied to 100% of their messages

Now 83% of swappers who logged in in the last week, replied to 100% of their messages!

Of those who logged in in the last week, 88% replied to over ¾ of their messages

Since the changes were brought in 5 months ago, almost 4½ million messages have been sent!

Since the changes, the number of users who have logged in is over 348,000

All together, since the changes, these swappers have logged in almost 10½ million times!!

We’ve been really pleased with the results from this and so proud of our swappers for getting on board with the changes and becoming more active as a result! The difference they’re making is clear from the activity we’re seeing and we really hope all our swappers are feeling this change in real terms.

Since we changed the messaging function, we have also updated the badges available on HomeSwapper to continue to make it much clearer to all swappers which users are currently active. We hoped that this update would stop our users spending their time contacting swappers who haven't logged in for a while and so might not reply to them.

Our next step planned in for these updates is to 'hide' inactive accounts from HomeSwapper. These accounts will only then be visible to other swappers once the owners of these accounts have logged back in and got up to date with their messages. This is next on our list and coming soon!

We’re looking forward to the next changes and seeing the impact that these have on swapper activity going forward. Make sure to keep an eye out for our announcement of these changes!